What Does It Take To Succeed As A Mobile Developer?

About Me

  • No formal CS education
  • 10+ apps
  • Indie iOS Focus Weekly
  • iosstack.com
  • Freelance

What Have I Learned?

  • Coding is just part of a successful app
  • It's crazy hard to get noticed
  • No fast money in mobile
  • Experiment

I have an idea!

Let's build it!

But Should You

Build It?

Hobby

Learning

Portfolio

Income

"If You Just Want

To Build Apps,

Get a Job"

Research:

Should Build It?

  • Niche apps
  • App research
  • What does the market say

Apple's Tips

  • Useful or lasting entertainment
  • Improve on current apps
  • Clean, refined, user friendly UI
  • Quality

App Store Research

MetaTax

from Charles Perry

A tax research app for small

businesses

  • Low competition
  • Lots of content
  • Premium product ($99/year)

Podcast: Release Notes

Overcast

from Marco Arment

A simple yet powerful podcast player

  • Tons of competition
  • Killer feature
  • Instapaper reputation

Podcast: Accidental Tech Podcast

Market Research

=

Yes!

Now What?

Monetization Strategies

  • Paid app
  • In app purchase (IAP)
  • Ads
  • Credits
  • Subscriptions
  • Patronage

How Can Your App

Get Noticed?

  • Reputation
  • Unique story
  • Learn to write good copy
  • Influential partner

Coding

finally...

Design

App Submission

more marketing

Driving Downloads

  • Store features
  • Cross promotion
  • Advertising
  • Different platforms
  • Iterate & improve

The Importance

of Reviews

  • Best practices
  • Funneling unhappy customers
  • No review communities!

Post Launch

now what?

So What Is Success?

It Depends...

Quit That!

from Chris Beshore

An app to help you quit your bad habits

  • Built in a few days
  • Super simple
  • No annoying ads or limitations
  • Patronage model
  • 54,000 downloads
  • 18 months = $667
  • Is it successful?

The Big Picture

  • If you just want to build apps, get a job
  • Multiple streams of income
  • You need a plan
  • App success? Depends on what you are looking for

Thank You!

Twitter: @cdbeshore

Email: cdbeshore@cozyapps.com

indieiosfocus.com

Mobile Success

By Chris Beshore

Mobile Success

What is success on the App Store. That depends on what you are trying to achieve.

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